PROGRAMS & SERVICES

Linking Learning to Life, Inc. develops and coordinates the following learning opportunities for K-12 students in partnership with educators, employers, and other community organization personnel.

Career Start – This project includes several activities that expand transition to employment and post-secondary education for youth with disabilities in Chittenden County. Linking Learning to Life coordinates a broad range of activities with many school and community agency partners.

College Connections – This program enables area high school students to explore college by taking courses at all 6 area colleges earning both college and high school credits. Students are supported with enrolling in and completing post secondary programs.

Community Service – Opportunities are provided for students at Hunt & Edmunds Middle & Burlington High Schools contribute to their community through volunteer service activities with area non-profit organizations. These experiences may also be linked to school credit and/or coursework. An annual community service fair is held at Burlington High School.

Job Shadowing – Students are given leads to ìshadowî at a local business for a short period of time to learn about specific occupations or industries and connect what they learn in school to skills used on the job.

Learn to Earn – This program encourages teens to enroll in higher-level math, science and technology courses that relate to preparation for high quality jobs in Vermont. The heart of the program is dynamic in-school presentations by teams of technicians, engineers and other professionals from local technology, manufacturing, and healthcare businesses.

Mentoring– Mentors for Kids is a school-based mentoring program that matches at-risk youth with adults in the community who offer encouragement, support, advocacy and career awareness. Recently, a new E-Mentoring project has been launched to match adult community mentors with students who are blind or visually impaired who provide support and encouragment by e-mail.

Ready, Set, Work! (RSW)– Students participate in an intensive summer program with school year follow-up that combines job readiness and personal skill development with paid work experience. The program is designed for at-risk youth just entering the workforce.

Spectrum Partnership – This service provides work readiness and academic support for at-risk youth in Burlington and Winooski. Support includes job skills development and career exploration with local businesses and community organizations, and academic tutoring and credit-earning opportunities in collaboration with Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

Training Interns & Partnering for Success (TIPS) – Students complete an intense pre-employment skills training, learn about an occupation or industry and develop skills by working with a particular employer for a specified period of time, usually over the course of a semester or school year. This model program offers pre-employment skills training, on-site training at a local employer and possible paid employment upon completion.

Youth Employment Services (YES!)– This program is a partnership with the Vermont Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to assist 9-12 grade students with disabilities with intensive career preparation, transition planning, individual guidance, job placement and worksite support.

Other Support & Services

Capstone Projects– Capstone or culminating projects generally focus on intensive research, writing and presentation related to a studentís personal and/or career interests. Capstone projects usually last a semester or one year and are aligned with the VT Framework of Standards & Learning Opportunities. Group training on project design and implementation and a Resource Guide are available.

Career Direction Center– This resource center at Burlington High School provides students and faculty with access to a variety of career, college and community service related materials, computers with on-line access and direct assistance from staff.

Career Development Curriculum – Career development can include integration of print and on-line career resources, community presenters, best practice models, hands-on activities, games, videos, self-assessments, and other materials into classroom instruction. Technical assistance and curriculum models and activities aligned with the VT Framework of Standards & Learning Opportunities and High Schools on the Move can be provided to K-12 educators.

Employer Participation Model– This model was created to help businesses effectively and efficiently develop the local youth workforce. Linking Learning to Life supports businesses with delivering a sequence of coordinated activities for students in grades 5-12 and provides related training and program materials.

Employer/Teacher Internships – K-12 educators are give leads to connect with community employers to carry out projects in the workplace during the summer. The program provides educators with workplace experience that increases their knowledge of current business practices, trends and relevant workforce skills.

Student Entrepreneurship- is a means for preparing young people to learn all aspects of starting and managing small businesses as a career path option. There are a number of opportunities that can be offered to students to support this process including school stores, income-generating projects, small business partnerships with local entrepreneurs, and others.